1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to methods and systems for holding and operating a portable computing system. In particular, the present invention relates to a palette for a pen tablet computer which permits ease of use and retention of the computer during use.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Portable computing systems are becoming increasingly popular, and many different types of portable computing systems are currently available such as pen tablet personal computers (pen tablet PCs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cellular telephones that have capabilities other than telephony. As used herein, a “pen tablet” computer is any computing device where the user uses a stylus or handheld pointer as an input device, including such handheld PDA's and the larger variety of arm held computing devices. Many types of handheld or portable systems are currently designed such that they can be used in multiple orientations, typically “landscape” or “portrait.” For example, depending on the data being displayed on the system, a position of a screen and a display orientation of the portable system may be altered to accommodate the data. In other examples, the position of the screen and the display orientation of a pen tablet computer may be altered depending on the preference of a user, the task being performed by the user, or an application being used on the system.
The term “landscape orientation” generally refers to an orientation of a display screen in which the largest lateral dimension is in the substantially horizontal direction with respect to the user. In contrast, the term “portrait orientation” generally refers to an orientation of a display screen in which the largest lateral dimension is in the substantially vertical direction with respect to the user. The terms “horizontal” and “vertical” as used herein are intended to specify a direction with respect to a user and are not intended to convey any other geometrical direction.
Typically, pen tablet computers are grasped by the user with a support hand curled around an edge, which frees up the writing hand to operate the stylus. Such ergonomics have led to discomfort in holding, heat discomfort, poor writing angles, and dropped computers. To address these problems, various grips and other ergonomic improvements have been proposed. U.S. Pat. Application 2003/0213822 proposes a pistol grip on the bottom of the computer, while U.S. Pat. No. 6,028,765 proposes removable grips to provide a gripping function and some degree of shock protection. U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,152 suggests particular molded regions on the computer housing to enhance the gripping function, while U.S. Pat. Application 2003/0231462 proposes hand pads for wrist support. All patents cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law.
While such portable computer housing improvements have addressed the problem of providing better gripping surfaces, they have largely failed to optimize a user's use and comfort while operating a pen tablet computer. Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a method and a system for grasping a pen tablet computer which minimizes the chance to drop the computer, minimizes user discomfort, and optimizes the user's operation thereof while keeping the configuration of the system relatively simple and inexpensive.